Packaging Warehouse Operations: How Pick and Pack Providers and Agencies Work Together

Inside a packaging warehouse, daily output depends on a repeatable rhythm: goods arrive, are checked and stored, orders are prepared, and finished parcels leave on time. Pick-and-pack is the connecting step that turns inventory into shippable units, and it is also where errors, delays, and damage most often appear if processes are unclear.

Pick and pack workflows in daily warehouse processes

A typical pick-and-pack flow starts with inbound receiving (counting, scanning, and putting items away), then moves to replenishment and picking. Many sites use a Warehouse Management System (WMS) to release work in waves, so pickers follow optimized routes and the warehouse avoids congestion. Barcodes, GS1 labels, and handheld scanners help ensure the right item and batch are picked, which is especially important where traceability matters.

Once items reach a packing station, the focus shifts from speed to consistency: correct packaging materials, correct labels, and the right documentation. Packing can include void fill, tamper-evident sealing, pallet wrapping, and adding inserts such as leaflets or compliance labels. Exception handling is also part of the routine (short picks, damaged goods, expired stock), and mature operations build clear escalation paths so workers do not “work around” the system.

What warehouse picking and packing agencies do

In many Belgian warehouses, agencies support operations by supplying trained temporary or flexible workers for picking, packing, sorting, and rework tasks. The warehouse (or logistics provider) typically defines the process, targets, and safety rules, while the agency manages recruitment, contracts, onboarding logistics, and replacement planning. This division can help stabilize operations during promotions, product launches, or peak periods, while keeping the core process ownership with the site.

For the relationship to work, coordination needs to be practical and measurable. Many teams align on shift plans, required certifications (for example, for reach truck roles), and training content such as scanning discipline, ergonomic lifting, and basic quality checks. Operationally, agencies and warehouse supervisors often use shared KPIs—pick accuracy, order cycle time, and rework rate—so performance feedback is tied to the workflow rather than personal impressions.

Operational partnerships commonly involve well-known logistics providers (running facilities or transport) and staffing agencies (supplying labour) working in parallel. The exact setup varies: some sites outsource most warehouse activity to a third-party logistics (3PL) operator, while others keep operations in-house but rely on agencies for flexible capacity.

Pick and pack models in food packaging companies

Food packaging warehouses and co-packing environments add constraints beyond standard fulfilment. Hygiene zoning, allergen controls, lot tracking, and date-code management shape how picking and packing are organised. Many operations apply FEFO (first-expired, first-out) logic where shelf life matters, and they may require additional checks at packing: correct date coding, intact seals, and correct outer case labels for pallet-level traceability.

Different operating models are common. Some sites separate picking from packing (pick to totes, then pack at dedicated benches) to improve accuracy and allow specialised packing quality checks. Others use pick-to-carton workflows, where the picker packs directly into the shipping carton, reducing touches but requiring strong scanning discipline. For higher volume, warehouses may use zone picking (each worker picks a defined area) with consolidation, or goods-to-person systems that bring items to the workstation, which can reduce walking and standardise ergonomics.

Across these models, “value-added services” often sit alongside pick-and-pack: applying retail-ready packaging, building promotional displays, kitting multi-item bundles, or re-labelling for multilingual markets. In Belgium, multilingual labelling needs (for example, Dutch and French, sometimes German) can increase the complexity of packing rules, which makes clear work instructions and quality sampling particularly important.

Pick-and-pack performance is ultimately a team outcome: process design, inventory accuracy, staffing stability, and quality controls all reinforce each other. When logistics providers, warehouse managers, and agencies coordinate on training, KPIs, and practical day-to-day planning, packaging operations can stay predictable—even when order profiles change or volumes spike.